If you have ever wondered what tools chiropractors use during an adjustment, you are not alone. At Lake Stevens Chiropractic, we use a combination of hands-on care and selected chiropractic tools—including the VibraCussor, drop table, and ArthroStim—to support comfortable, targeted care based on your individual needs.
These tools are not a replacement for a chiropractor’s training, assessment, or hands-on skill. Instead, they can help us work with tight muscles, address areas with limited joint movement, and offer lower-force options when appropriate. As we explain in our video, “the biggest tools is our hands and how we adjust.”
Why Do Chiropractors Use Tools?
Chiropractic tools allow a provider to apply a controlled approach to a particular muscle, joint, or area of the spine. Depending on the patient’s symptoms, health history, examination findings, and comfort level, a tool may be used alongside a manual adjustment—or instead of one.
The central goal is not to use a device simply because it is available. It is to choose an approach that supports healthy movement and helps make care more comfortable and specific to the person in front of us. If your dealing with a pinched nerve there are specific tools we may use to tackle that issue over others!
Some patients prefer an instrument-assisted adjustment because they are nervous about twisting or forceful movements. Others may benefit from a tool that helps relax guarded muscles before hands-on treatment. They can be great for The technique we recommend should always be explained beforehand, and you should feel comfortable asking questions at any point in your visit.
VibraCussor: Deep Vibration for Muscle Relaxation
The VibraCussor is a handheld tool that delivers deep vibration or percussion-style stimulation to muscles and other soft tissues. At Lake Stevens Chiropractic, it may be used around an area that feels tight or guarded before an adjustment. Tech neck can be a great use for deep vibration, if you are dealing with tech neck here are 5 easy tips to prevent tech neck!
In our video, we describe the purpose this way: “It helps to inhibit the muscles, so it allows us just to be able to get the tissues to relax and work around that joint.”
When muscles are tense, they can make it harder to comfortably assess and work around a joint. Using vibration may help the surrounding area relax, allowing the chiropractor to use a more targeted approach. The sensation is often similar to a focused vibration or percussion massage, although everyone experiences treatment differently.
A VibraCussor may be considered for areas such as the neck, mid-back, low back, shoulders, or other regions where muscle tension is contributing to discomfort or restricted movement. Your chiropractor will determine whether it is appropriate after discussing your symptoms and completing an examination.
Drop Table Adjustments: How the Table Helps
A drop table is a chiropractic treatment table with separate sections that can be raised into position and released during an adjustment. It may look or sound unfamiliar at first, but the movement is brief, controlled, and designed to assist the adjustment.
During a drop-table adjustment, the chiropractor positions the appropriate section of the table, applies a controlled force to the targeted area, and the section drops a short distance. This movement can help carry the adjustment through the joint without requiring the same type of manual force used in some other techniques.
As our video explains, “when that table drops, then the joint is able to continue that motion.”
The table can make a noticeable clicking or thumping sound, which sometimes surprises first-time patients. However, the sensation is typically a quick, supported movement. Similar to spinal decompression, where we want to guide the spine in a specific direction. If you are apprehensive about chiropractic adjustments, let us know before treatment; we can walk you through what to expect and discuss whether a drop-table technique may be a good fit.
ArthroStim: Controlled Pulses for Specific Joints
ArthroStim is a handheld chiropractic instrument used to apply rapid, controlled, low-force pulses to specific areas of the spine or joints. It can be useful when a chiropractor wants to deliver a focused adjustment without relying on a larger manual movement.realhealthco+1
The tool generally feels like a series of quick taps or pulses. Because the force is controlled and localized, some people prefer it to more traditional manual adjustment techniques, especially when they want a gentler approach.
In the video, we explain that ArthroStim “sends a pulsating force into the joint.” We may use this controlled stimulation when an area does not appear to be moving well and needs a targeted approach.
ArthroStim is not necessarily better than a manual adjustment, and a manual adjustment is not necessarily better than ArthroStim. The right choice depends on your examination findings, the area being treated, your medical history, and your preferences.
Other Chiropractic Tools You May Hear About
Every chiropractic office is different, so you may encounter tools that are not part of every visit at Lake Stevens Chiropractic. Common examples include handheld adjusting instruments, posture or range-of-motion assessment tools, therapeutic exercise equipment, and soft-tissue tools.
An activator-style instrument, for example, is another type of handheld device used by some chiropractors to deliver a controlled impulse. Although it is sometimes compared with ArthroStim, they are different instruments and may apply force in different ways.
You may also hear about diagnostic tools used to evaluate movement, posture, reflexes, or other physical findings. These are different from treatment tools: their role is to help guide the examination and treatment recommendation rather than to deliver an adjustment.
What to Expect During a Chiropractic Appointment
Your appointment should begin with a conversation about what brought you in and what you hope to improve. This may include symptoms involving the neck, mid-back, or low back, as well as concerns after an accident or injury.
Next, your chiropractor will review relevant health information and complete an examination. Based on those findings, they can explain whether chiropractic care may be appropriate, which techniques may be considered, and what each treatment is intended to do.
If a tool such as the VibraCussor, drop table, or ArthroStim is recommended, you should understand:
- Why it is being recommended for your specific concern
- What it will feel like
- What alternatives may be available
- Whether there are any reasons to modify or avoid a technique
- How your progress will be monitored over time
Your treatment should never feel mysterious. We want patients to understand the process and feel comfortable communicating about pressure, positioning, discomfort, or concerns.
There Is No One “Best” Chiropractic Tool
There is no single best chiropractic tool for every person, symptom, or condition. The best approach is the one that fits your examination findings, individual health factors, comfort level, and goals for care.
For one person, hands-on care may be most appropriate. For another, a lower-force option such as ArthroStim or a drop-table adjustment may be preferred. In some cases, soft-tissue work with the VibraCussor may be used before an adjustment to help relax the surrounding muscles.
A good conversation is an important part of chiropractic care. Ask why a specific tool is being recommended, what you should expect to feel, and whether another approach may be appropriate for you.
Chiropractic Care in Lake Stevens, WA
Lake Stevens Chiropractic has provided musculoskeletal chiropractic care in Lake Stevens since 1969. Our office is located at 905 WA-9, Lake Stevens, WA 98258, and we use a patient-centered approach to discuss the techniques and tools that may be appropriate for your needs.
Whether you are dealing with neck discomfort, mid-back tension, low-back pain, or symptoms after an accident, we can explain how hands-on chiropractic care, the VibraCussor, drop-table techniques, or ArthroStim may fit into your treatment plan.
Schedule a Consultation
Do you have questions about chiropractic tools or prefer a gentler, instrument-assisted approach? Call Lake Stevens Chiropractic at (425) 334-5066 to schedule an appointment and talk through your concerns with our team.